Perks of living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida is a wonderful community. It has beautiful, warm beaches and an excellent shopping district. There is a nice mixture of people from all around the world which include Caribbean Islanders and Canadians. If you’re looking for culture, you have found it here. Still on the fence of whether you should move here? Let me convince you with this compelling pro and con list.

Pro: It has beautiful beaches. We’re talking coastline to coastline shores. You can’t go far without dipping your feet in Fort Lauderdale’s warm, white sand. The most popular beach, I would say, is Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. It has a natural coral reef in which swimmers can dive or go snorkeling. At night this beach is brought to life with live music from local bands. It’s a hot spot to be if you’re in town.

Pro: It’s a must-visit tourist spot for art lovers. Within Fort Lauderdale there are 10 art galleries. Through these art galleries you can either purchase art or just admire the artwork before you. Victorios Art Studio is one of the galleries that lets you get your hands dirty as you take art classes. Sign up for watercolor or painting classes while having fun along the way. The instructors make the experience fun and they are patient with each student.

Pro: Florida residents pay no state income tax. If you’re looking to saving money, moving to a state with no state taxes is a huge benefit. Florida is one of only seven states that do not collect state income tax. How much tax you pay, of course, is going to depend on your wages and the cost of living. As an example, let’s say you earned 40K a year. In California, where they take 13.3 percent for state income tax, this would cost you an average of $3007. If you lived in Florida, however, this is how much you be dumping into your savings each year. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend that money on vacation or a new house instead of seeing it go to the government?

On the flip side…

Con: Florida's summer months often brings out quite a bit humidity. In turn, during these months you're certain to see more insects than usual. Florida, in general, has a wide variety of bugs ranging from spiders in every color to moths and flies. In order to keep them from your beachfront home, get in the habit of cleaning the dirt each day. If your property has palm trees close to the foundation, dirt can easily seep in through the windows. A quick sweep should keep these critters at bay, allowing you to relax and enjoy the comfort of your Florida home.

Con: There are homeless shelters in every area of Florida, including the wealthy ones. Since shelters can only guarantee a person shelter for 24 or 48 hours at a time, this pushes a lot of the people out on the street. Just like every other city, these people often panhandle residents. They walk on the sidewalks and stand in traffic trying to get money. It doesn’t matter where you live; you can live in a gated community and still encounter these individuals.

As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons for living in Fort Lauderdale. If you enjoy sun and beaches, the rest all fits like a puzzle. Enjoy Florida; there are many reasons to love it!